Born on the Mouth of Hell
by cordog
Summary: What happens when a white knight, born on the hellmouth, dies. crossover.
1. A matter of trust

Starts at the end of BtVS season two and goes through season three. Haven't fully decided when during charmed it plays out, however Prue is alive, Piper and Leo are married and Phoebe is seeing Cole who is still a half-demon.

Standard disclaimer applies: I own nothing.

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It all came down to trust.

The simple fact was he didn't have hers.

Xander knew it wasn't really any one thing that stopped Buffy from fully trusting him. It was many. Not small things either. While possessed by the hyena animal spirit he tried to rape her, no matter the circumstance, something like that isn't easily put aside. Add to the fact he lied about remembering it, oh yeah, there was another nail in his coffin. Threaten to kill her? Chalk up another one. Hitting her with a love spell gone wrong? Bingo. Find out she's the Slayer by eavesdropping? One more. Some of it was for things that xander didn't really think should be held against him. The stolen rocket launcher? He was the one that had military training forced into his head on halloween, he should have been the one to destroy the judge. But he lost the argument on that one and revealed yet another secret that he had kept to himself.

Add it all together and what do you get?

Held up by your throat by a Buffy Summers who pays a little more attention to what you say, trying to catch your lies.

Clearly, this wasn't good.

"I know Willow wouldn't say something like that Xander! What's the real message?"

Xander couldn't answer if he tried, Buffy, stressed from the whole Angelus situation was forgetting her own strength. He couldn't breathe, let alone speak. His hands gripped Buffy's arm, useless against her strength. He could feel himself passing out, a small part of himself glad, unconsciousness meant he couldn't give in and tell Buffy the truth, that even now, Willow was preparing to once again recast the gypsy soul curse. Xander worried that with the possibility of having Angel back, Buffy wouldn't put her all into the fight, thereby risking the world. As darkness claimed him, he prayed that Buffy wouldn't work it out on her own.

Buffy looked down at the sleeping form of her friend with concern. He was keeping something from her, she was sure of it. She just couldn't work out what. Grabbing his hands, she dragged Xander off the road and behind some bushes, so that he wouldn't be seen by any passing vampires.

Turning once more onto the road and on her way, she hoped it wasn't anything too important.

Xander rounded the corner, running down Crawford street towards angelus's mansion. Rubbing his throat he tried to go faster but breathing hurt. He couldn't believe she did that! Didn't she realize she needed backup. What if Spike was lying? What if Spike couldn't control Druscilla? What if Giles needed medical help? God, what if she worked out what he was hiding? She needed him there, not stuffed behind some bushes. Looking ahead, he stopped quickly and ducked behind a tree. Cautiously, he looked around the tree to see Spike leave the mansion with what seemed to be a sleeping Druscilla in his arms. With some small difficulty and some not so small cursing, Spike loaded the vampiress into a beat-up car, before climbing behind the wheel and driving away. Xander breathed deep in relief, gagging slightly from his sore throat. At least some of his worries were gone, but three remained. Buffy, Giles and Angelus. Xander left his hiding place and ran across the remaining yards and through the front door into the mansion.

Walking carefully, he made his way towards the back of the mansion, looking around for vampires. His mind, damn it, was running wild, filling itself with worst case scenarios. Buffy dead, Giles dead, Buffy and Giles dead, the portal open, a vampire around the corner, a pack of vampires around the corner, _Angelus around the corner._ He was just about to stop to calm himself down, when he walked into a room with a figure bound to a chair.

Walking in a wide circle, he studied the figure until he could see the persons profile. _Giles!_ Closing the distance, he pulled up suddenly, getting a good look at the damage that had been dealt to the librarian.

"Oh man Giles, what did they do to you?

Seeming to hear him, Giles' head pulled up, making Xander jump. Giles mumbled something, and after a few attempts in understanding, Xander realized he was in shock. Xander began to untie him, to get him out of there, when he heard the sounds of clashing metal coming from the next room. Buffy.

"Sorry G-man, but I better check to make sure Buffy's kicking his ass"

Pausing long enough to make sure Giles was as okay as he could be, Xander entered the next room just in time to see Angelus drive his sword down onto Buffy. _No. _Xander paled in shock and then nearly cheered aloud as Buffy caught the blade between the palms of her hand, stopping the blade and hold it steady despite Angelus' attempt to push down harder, before snapping the sword hilt-first into Angelus' face.

_Go Buffy, you can do it!_ Xander mentally cheered as Buffy, seemingly defeated only moments before, drove home her advantage with a series of well-placed strikes and slices, ending with Angelus defeated, on his knees and Buffy with the sword drawn back ready for the final blow. Xander tensed in grim anticipation as Buffy hesitated a look of pain and determination on her face. He had told Angelus that he would be there when died.

Then it happened.

Angelus, kneeling with a look disbelief at his defeat, shuddered, and even from a distance, Xander could see his eyes light up with eildricht power. Both Buffy and Xander could guess what had happened. The spell was cast, Angel's soul was restored. Angel said something, Xander couldn't make it out, but Buffy clearly heard. Her arm dropped, sword hanging loose in her hand, as she drew Angel to his feet and kissed him with a passion even Xander couldn't deny.

Then the nightmare started back up.

The two lovers didn't see it at first, but Xander did. Acathla's mouth opened and an orange light began to flow like treacle from within. Swirling slowly, the light began to expand until even Buffy noticed it. Xander couldn't see her expression as she looked to the vortex, then to Angel and back again, while Angel simply looked at Buffy with confusion on his face, unaware of the fate he had bought upon the world. Without a word, Buffy looked at Angel seeming to study his face, then suddenly straightened, a decision made.

She threw the sword away as if it were poisonous.

Then holding Angels hand, turned and pulled him after her. Away from the Vortex.

It took Xander a moment to realize what she was doing.

Running.

Away from the vortex.

Before he knew it, Xander was moving, cutting across the room, blocking Buffy's escape.

"Buffy, you can't run. It's gonna swallow everything, we have to stop it now before it's too late"

Buffy looked at Xander and her eyes narrowed. "You knew Xander. This is what you were hiding you bastard."

At first Xander didn't know what hit him. He was thrown back from the force of Buffy's punch and by the time he landed and cleared his head, Buffy was gone, taking Angel with her. Panic rising within him, Xander glanced back at the vortex. Something to be thankful for, the vortex only seemed to be growing slowly. It would still consume the world, sucking it into hell, but it apparently it would take it's sweet time doing so. Xander thought back, back to when Giles was telling them about Acathla. He hadn't been paying too much attention at the time, certain that Buffy would stop Angelus from reaching this point, he did remember Giles saying that if Angelus opened the vortex using his own blood then only Angelus's blood would close it.

Quickly he started looking around for where the sword landed when Buffy threw it aside. After five minutes frantic looking, ( the vortex wasn't growing_ that _slowly), he saw it. It seemed to have gotten stuck somehow, on the back of couch. Walking over and grabbing the hilt, Xander had to tighten his grip quickly because the sword near jumped out of his hands. It felt like holding a magnet just near but not quite on a fridge door.

_Guess that answers whether or not the blood is Angelus's_ Xander thought to himself, as he looked at the dark stains. He was tempted to let it go but decided not too, just in case. Slowly he edged over to the vortex. Despite the pull from the sword, nothing else seemed affected yet. Reaching the event horizon, Xander tightened his grip, said a prayer and plunged the tip of the sword into the vortex.

Nothing happened.

He wiggled the blade a little.

Still nothing happened.

With shock, Xander realized he must not have paid enough attention to Giles. He was missing something, some other factor was needed. God, he wished Giles was here.

Hang on.

Turning his head he looked around, and started doing the mental version of the snoopy dance. Giles _was_ still here. Buffy left through the other door, so she couldn't have taken him with her, therefore Giles must still be tied up in the room behind him. It was when Xander turned to go that he got his first shock. The sword was stuck. With supreme effort, Xander pulled it loose, falling to the floor in the process. Then he got the next shock. The pull exerted on the sword by the vortex was noticeably weaker and close inspection showed him why. The part of the sword that had been within the vortex was now free of blood, scoured clean. Looking at what little blood was left, Xander knew that he wouldn't be able to risk it on foolish experimentation.

Making sure not to let go of the sword he ran back to Giles, who fortunately, now that there was a risk of dying an even more painful death than torture, was a little more coherent.

"Giles, we have problems"

"Goway Gelus lemme die in peace"

Xander kneeled down in front of him and started using the sword to cut through the blood-soaked bonds.

"It's Xander Giles"

"Xander? Isit ova ? Di we win?" Giles slurred as he tried to focus on the boy in front of him.

"Sorta." Xander answered, looking Giles in the face, trying to work out if the older man was clear-headed enough to help. At least with the last of the ropes cut, he might be able to make it out.

"Wha' hapened"

"Buffy beat Angelus but not before he freed Acathla's vortex"

"Tha's bad. Gotta closit"

"Already tried. I put the sword with Angelus's blood on it into the portal but it didn't work."

"Couse not. Portals like a balloon try'in ta pop."

"What"

Giles sighed and fixed Xander a stare. When he was sure he had it, he raised up one hand with a clenched fist.

"Balloon" he said firmly, giving his fist a shake, showing what he meant."Angelus used his blud to start blowin it up."

Xander nodded, showing he was keeping up so far. Giles continued.

"Angelus started it, but hell's onna other side, blowin it up frm there" Giles demonstrated this by slowly opening his fist.

"Nuff pressure" Giles hand quickly opened all the way "Balloon pops, we'all git sucked in"

"So why didn't the sword and blood reverse it"

"Noh enuff pressure." Giles closed his fist halfway, signifying the balloon/vortex that hasn't 'popped' yet. He then brought his other hand up and closed it over the fist, showing how the fist simply kept opening despite the resistance.

"How do we get more pressure on our side?"

"Godda haf mor blud onda sword"

"The sword can only have so much blood on it Giles"

"Silly boy, the bloods life"

"Life? We need Angelus's life? on the sword? We've got to kill him?

"Yup" Giles replied, his head dropping to his chest, the effort of focusing proving to be too much.

Xander just looked at him in shock. Buffy knew this, it's why she hurried him away, he realized. Dazed he went back to room with the vortex. Now he knew why it wasn't sucking anything in yet. It was like a piece of rubber being stretched, and when it couldn't stretch anymore it would burst, sucking all life on earth into hell when it did.

He was trying to think of what to do when he noticed that the pull on the sword had increased again.

Looking at the sword he saw fresh blood on the blade, most likely from the ropes he had cut from Giles. It was then Xander had a moment of clarity. He ran the idea through his head, sounding it out slowly, trying to see a flaw. The sword still had a little of Angelus's blood on it, keeping it attuned to the portal. To close the portal, you need a lot of blood, which equals life. Ideally Angelus's life, but he wasn't here. Now it seems that as long as there's a bit of Angelus's blood on the blade, you could use someone else's blood to increase the pressure/power? And if you could substitute the blood, you should be able to substitute the life.

Xander looked around hopefully, trying to see if any of Angelus's vampire minions were hanging around. His smile dropped a bit as it came to rest on multiple piles of dust and ash on the ground._ Of course! It couldn't be easy!_ He considered the vortex, giving it all his attention, while he tried not to think of the helpless librarian in the next room. _Who am I kidding? I couldn't sacrifice Giles._ He knew what he had to do, he just _really_ didn't want to. He needed a life and his was the only one there for the taking.

He walked in front of the vortex, wondering if he should say anything, some final last words. He smiled sadly, tears running down his cheeks._ Last words to who? Buffy? She chose Angel over everything else. Willow? She loves Oz. Cordelia? Face it Xander, you lost the right when you told a comatose Willow what you felt. Oz? Sorry buddy, but I barely knew ya. Giles? Face facts! He was only really there for Buffy. Heh! What a time to realize that in the end, all you really ever have is yourself._

His internal monologue over, he kneeled down and held the sword point-first over his heart, hoping that this wouldn't hurt as much as he thought it would. He closed his eyes and turned his head away in the hope that this would make his task easier. He tightened his grip on the sword and took a deep breathe, silently trying to convince himself he had the courage for this.

One small prayer later, he forced the sword in through his chest. Nothing in his life prepared him for the pain he felt, a small cry issuing from his lips as he fell onto his side. In a small corner of his mind he could feel himself being drawn up, through the air, toward the vortex even as he felt his life's blood running over his fingers, still desperately holding onto the sword.

There was a flash of light, and then he knew no more.


	2. Descent

Starts at the end of BtVS season two and goes through season three. Haven't fully decided when during charmed it plays out, however Prue is alive, Piper and Leo are married and Phoebe is seeing Cole who is still a half-demon.

Standard disclaimer applies: I own nothing.

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Melchior watched the events in Sunnydale with much anticipation. Situated atop the hellmouth, it was all but impossible for him and his fellow higher beings to influence the beings and events there. As it was, the best they could do was rely on neutral parties to do their work for them and then hope for the best. Balance demons did good work, but they worked to preserve the balance between good and evil, not promoting one above the other. Every deed performed in the service of good allowed a corresponding service for evil. As such Melchior and his like called upon them as little as possible. However, with a little use of a single balance demon, they may have added significantly to the forces of good in the world.

Even as he watched, events were coming to a point.

Angelus was working towards an act of great evil, unaware that soon he would be re-ensouled. Melchior would have preferred for Angel to not have lost his soul in the first place, but at least now Angel would know of the happiness clause and be more careful in future. It would also give him a much needed kick in the pants, encouraging him to take a more active role in the future if he truly wanted to atone for his wrongs.

Willow Rosenburg was preparing to cast her first spell. This not insignificant act would hopefully start the young girl down the wiccan path of power. With same the determination and dedication given to magic that she gave to all her other fields of study, she would do well.

Buffy Summers was approaching her most important battle to date. Within this arena she will fight against not only Angelus but also herself. From this battle she will learn and finally understand not only the obligation and duty that comes with being the Slayer, but also the honor and privilege granted to her by the Slayer spirit Herself, one of the Powers that be.

Xander Harris was already showing progress, changing from the boy he was, becoming the man he could be. The last two years had been a journey of discovery for the young man, and tonight would yield yet another important step in that journey. Xander would be very surprised to learn that the elders had been looking for someone like Xander for an age.

Of course this was only if events carried out as predicted. As much as the Elders and the other Powers that be might not want too admit it, they could not influence free will. The warriors on the mortal plane would do as they wished and the Powers that be cannot deny them that choice. Angelus was a prime example of this. One of the other Powers had been lighting the path for Angel to become one of their champions. After a century of false starts and failures, they found something that could properly motivate him. Buffy Summers. The idea had been to send him to watch over the blonde Slayer, knowing that he would develop some affection for her. Upon her fated death at the hands of the Master, her example would give him the inspiration he needed to continue the good fight.

At least, that had been the plan.

What actually happened was quite different. Instead of merely having protective feelings for the girl, he fell in love with her. And her fated death? Wasn't as permanent as predicted, giving the couple time to take the relationship further. Far enough to release the monster within, creating the current circumstance.

Still no battle plan survives first contact, and the Powers that be learned long ago how to be flexible. Once Angelus discovered Acathla, the powers began laying the groundwork of a new plan. Nothing major, a nudge here, and an ancient curse is translated. A nudge there and Ms Rosenburg is no longer in a coma, and finally a visit from Whistler to encourage Buffy to go full out against Angelus. The desired outcome being that Buffy stops Angelus from freeing Acathla, thus regaining confidence in both herself and her sacred trust. Willow recasts the soul spell before Buffy slays Angelus opening up her magical potential. Angel regains his soul and learns that it takes more than time to make up for past deeds. Xander Harris will rescue the watcher and learn that supporting your friends is it's own reward, a valuable lesson, considering the Elders hopes for him.

Melchior frowned a little, as he watched Xander lie to his friend and her reaction. He started to worry when Angelus pulled the sword from the stone demon, he knew the only way to close the portal now was to send the potential champion to hell. He was downright alarmed when Buffy grabbed the confused Angel and ran. After witnessing Xanders sacrifice he turned and ran in complete panic.

He had to tell his fellow Elders that the unthinkable had happened.

A good man had just been damned to hell.

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Time worked differently here.

He didn't know where here was, but he knew he didn't like it. His eyeballs and lips blistered and boiled without respite. The air seemed to scorch his lungs and scald his skin. His clothes had long since burned away, leaving his bare skin to burn and sear onto the baking ground, and when his body convulsed from the pain within his chest, huge chunks of flesh tore from his body, stuck to the ground where he had lain.

Time worked differently here.

Effect didn't follow cause here. As each injury occurred, it simply became undone. Slowly. So the intense heat damaged his body, then the damage just went away. But the cause remained to keep damaging him, then going away even as he was damaged again.

There was one exception. A sword was embedded in his chest,cherry red from the heat, stopping him from pulling it out. His heart tried to reform, but the blade kept it from beating more than once before it was sliced again, keeping him always at the point of death but never letting him die. That wasn't the worse thing though.

He wasn't alone.

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She came back in the dark hours of the morning.

She had spent most of the night soothing her traumatized lover to sleep. After his confusion had passed, he had become stricken by remorse over the hurt he had caused her. So she had taken him to a crypt that until her intervention had recently housed a small nest of vampires. There she had offered what comfort she could until he had calmed down enough to sleep. It was only when she had left the graveyard that she remembered Acathla.

It was with great trepidation that she walked through the silent hallways to where she had fought last night. Surprise etched her face when she saw the stone statue sitting silent, the vortex gone. She walked gingerly around the statue, trying to work out what had happened, guilt in her thoughts at having left such a threat unresolved in the first place, followed by relief that no harm seemed to have been done.

As she was deciding what to do about the statue, her hearing picked up the low sound breathing. Looking around she determined there source and walked into the adjoining room. There sitting asleep in a chair and wheezing slightly with each breathe, was her watcher. She noted the cut bonds on the floor around him as she walked up to wake him. She shook him gently.

"Giles? You need to wake up."

At her voice and tender shaking Giles woke up. He looked confused and had trouble focusing on her.

"Buffy?"

"It's me Giles. Are you alright? You're all cut up!"

Giles seemed to finally focus on her and sat up straight wincing as the multitude of injuries inflicted on him made themselves known.

"I daresay I'll live Buffy, though at this point I may not wish so. What's happened? Is it over."

"I defeated Angelus, but not before he managed to open the vortex."

"Oh, I'm so sorry Buffy. Druscilla tricked me into telling Angelus how to remove the sword."

"It's not a problem Giles. He's gone and the vortex is closed."

Giles let Buffy pull him to his feet and leaning on her, was led out to view the dormant statue. After being reassured that they weren't all going to hell, he looked at his slayer.

"You seem to be taking this well Buffy, all things considered."

"Hey, Angelus is gone and the worlds not ending, what's not to like?"

"You needn't put on a strong face for me Buffy, It can not have been easy for you to send Angelus to hell."

"What are you talking about? I didn't."

Giles nearly fell over in shock "But you said he was gone!" Looking about as if the monster might strike.

"He is gone, Willow cast the soul spell and brought Angel back."

"But Buffy, if Angelus opened the vortex, only by sacrificing his life could it be closed."

"I don't know what happened. But Angel's still here and the vortex is closed so I'm not really seeing the problem here."

"We need to know what happened so that we can be sure that the vortex is truly closed. We don't want to find out it isn't the hard way"

Giles motioned towards a couch and let Buffy sit him in it. Once comfortable, he looked at her.

"Tell me the sequence of events from the time Angelus pulled the sword to when the vortex closed."

Buffy"s face got a distressed look on it as she started telling of her fight.

"After Angelus pulled the sword, the vortex didn't open straight away and we fought. He had me on the ropes, taunting and mocking me until I realized that without his soul he was just another vampire. After that he could touch me, and I was kicking his ass. Just before I could deliver the final blow, Willow's spell hit him. He was confused, didn't know where he was or what had happened. He could recognize me though and we, uh kissed. It was then that I noticed the vortex had started to open." Buffy trailed off, unsure how to tell her watcher what happened next.

"I couldn't do it Giles. I couldn't send Angel to hell"

"Then how did the vortex close?"

It took all Buffy's willpower to force herself to tell Giles the truth.

"I, ah, didn't see it close. I, ah, grabbed Angel and ran."

"YOU DID WHAT?"

"and when Xander tried to stop me, I hit him"

"Wait, Xander was here?"

"Yeah. Maybe he found away to close the vortex."

"I don't see how, my research indicated that you would need the sword to sacrifice whomever it was that released it from Acathla."

"The sword is gone Giles, it was the first thing I looked for when I came back"

"I was sure my research was right. I suppose we will have to ask Xander what happened."

"He wasn't here when I came back, he must have left."

"I must say I'm a little upset he didn't take me with him when he went. Perhaps he thought you took me with you" As he said this, a memory tried to stir but his mind was too tired to grasp it.

"We can ask him about it later, we need to get you home and patched up."

To that, Giles could whole-heartedly agree.

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They were hideous and cruel, fighting each other for the right to torture him. After millenia sealed away something new had come to their attention, and it definitely held it. Misery was rained down upon his body as they broke and tore it apart, only to repeat later when the injuries went away. There was one who came that the others avoided. This one didn't inflict any physical injury, perhaps because it knew it wouldn't be a lasting pain. No, this one inflicted mental anguish, taking the forms of loved ones and taunted him without mercy. It became Jesse and blamed him for not saving him, Janna Kalderash who blamed him for pushing her out of the safety of the group and into the hands of Angelus. Ampata who claimed he never loved her more than his friends and many other faces of whom he hadn't saved because he was too slow, too dumb, too weak, too worthless. And as the torment tore him apart inside, The First laughed.

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When they couldn't find Xander the next day they were worried. The Scooby Gang began their search, all Xander's haunts were checked to no avail. Willow hacked police and hospital records looking for anyone who fitted his description. Willy was threatened for information on his whereabouts so many times he became used to them. So many demons were hunted down and questioned, only to be killed when they were found lacking, that the demons and vampires themselves took up the search, if only to get the Slayer and her friends off their backs. After three months of not finding any evidence of foul play in Xander's disappearance, the group decided it was Xander himself who left. Many theories abounded as to why he left but it was Cordelia's theory that was believed. Cordelia said that watching his hero abandon her duty, added to the stress of Angelus, was too much for him, making him leave in disgust. Needless to say Cordelia blamed Buffy for her boyfriends absence. After three months without being contacted by him, Cordelia left the Scoobies, intent on putting her life back on track and thoughtless boyfriends behind her.

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He lay curled within himself, heedless of the heat in the air and on the ground. His tormentors no longer bothered him, torture was no longer fun when he no longer screamed for them. The First had left, her whispered venom no longer reaching him. There he would have stayed for eternity if not for the fact that he had been brought to the attention of Barbas, the Demon of Fear. Barbas looked down at the broken body and sneered. The boy was so far gone that not even his own fear power could effect him now. He was here for one reason only. He rolled the boy over and saw what he was after, a sword capable of killing and sealing the powers of high level demons. Without a care he grabbed the hilt and withdrew the sword, absently noting that the wound wasn't going away.

He considered the boy for a while. One of his fellow denizens of the Underworld had told him where to find the sword as payment for the retrieval of the boy. Few demons were capable of entering and leaving Hell at will and Barbas was one of them. She lacked the power to retrieve the boy herself and now that he had the sword he didn't really need to uphold his part of the agreement. Still, it never pays to burn all your bridges he thought. He picked the boy up and slung him over his shoulder. As he began the difficult transition from Hell to the Underworld he couldn't fathom what possible use the boy could be.


	3. From the ashes

Starts at the end of BtVS season two and goes through season three. Haven't fully decided when during charmed it plays out, however Prue is alive, Piper and Leo are married and Phoebe is seeing Cole who is still a half-demon.

Standard disclaimer applies: I own nothing.

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Melchior and his friend orbed into the Halliwell manor shortly before noon. Melchior didn't need to check to know that the house was empty, he had in fact been counting on it. Usually Melchior wasn't a plan within plans kind of person, something most other Elders considered a drawback in their line of work. Melchior's advantage lay in the fact while others plotted grand designs whose aim was to solve many problems at once, he liked to solve his problems one at a time. However he could still multi-task when he felt he had need. One of the things he and the other Elders didn't see eye to eye on was the simple matter of eating. They felt that since they were Immortal Beings that lived in heaven, then they didn't need to eat. A philosophy that meant Melchior hadn't had a decent meal in centuries.

Closing his eyes, he reached out with his senses. Ah yes, there were the Halliwell sisters and their white-lighter, sitting down for a family lunch. He would have to hurry. He had a new assignment for Leo that might not go over well with his wife and her sisters. But if in going to them meant he had to join them for lunch, well sacrifices had to be made. He looked over to his companion. As much as he would like to bring him along he wasn't sure his young friend was ready for the general public yet. After asking if he would be alright on his own and getting an affirmative, Melchior fixed his destination in his mind and orbed away in a swirl of golden lights.

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Cole Turner shimmered himself into reality and bent over hands on knees to catch his breathe. Straightening up, he held his hand to his side, wincing a little in pain. He had nearly been caught by a trio of powerful demonic assassins. He seriously doubted he could vanquish one of them, he wasn't about to try for all three. So he ran, shimmering his way through as many mystical convergence points as he could, hoping his trail would be lost within their own natural energies. While it wasn't a technique he could use often, it did mean that when he stopped running he could spend some time with Phoebe. He moved his hand and looked at his injury, _This just won't do._

Cole considered his options. Leo could only heal the human part of him, he could just bandage the injury but then Phoebe would be gentle with him._ And we can't have that now, can we?_ He thought with a smile. It would take away from the fun they would have. There was only one thing for it. Phoebe had told him the family would be gone for lunch, so he was free to do something he couldn't do while they were present. With a sigh of relief, he shifted into his demonic form, letting his more powerful body heal the wound faster. Hopefully, by the time they came back it would be fully healed. With that in mind, he ventured from the manor's attic, towards the kitchen.

He had just opened the fridge door, looking to fix himself some lunch, when he heard footsteps coming into the kitchen. Swiftly he shifted his form back as a strange teenage boy walked into the room._ Phoebe never said anyone else would be here. Is he a mortal friend of theirs? And more importantly, did he see me change?_ Seeing a confused expression on the boy's face, Cole stepped forward to distract him from what he might have seen. That is, until the confusion changed to rage and the boy threw a lightning bolt at him, forcing him to duck behind the kitchen bench.

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Xander looked around the room after Melchior left. Seemed like a nice place. Homey. Melchior didn't tell him too much about who lived here, only that they could help him with his problems. He looked at the photos on the wall. They showed three women, obviously close, possibly sisters. Some of the pictures showed one of the women with a man. He walked from room to room. He didn't look through anything, cause you know that's just wrong, but just looked, trying to get an idea about the sort of people who lived here. He looked through the living room, the kitchen and the conservatory that were on the ground floor before moving up to the second.

Up there, there were three bedrooms, these he only got as far as putting his head into before he backed back out. He walked into the bathroom and decided while he was there, to answer the call of nature. Washing his hands afterwards, he caught his reflection in the mirror. He couldn't help trying to see if his time in Hell had left any marks. None really, not unless you counted his eyes. They looked...haunted. It was while he was searching his eyes that he heard someone walk past the bathroom doors and down the stairs.

Frowning, because he hadn't heard anyone in the house before, he went downstairs trying to find whomever it was. He walked into the kitchen and saw a demon at the fridge, which suddenly shape-shifted to human. He was shocked at first, Melchior had said it was safe here. No matter though, he reached within himself for the power the Elders had given him, rage contorted his face and he lashed out at the demon in human form.

He would never be at the mercy of demons ever again.

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Cole ducked as another lightning bolt shot over the top of the kitchen table. He was in something of a quandary. He could shimmer away, but if he did that then the three assassins he had ditched earlier would track him. If he stayed where he was, his attacker, who he suspected was yet another assassin, would definitely hit him. Hmm, face one assassin or shimmer and end up facing four. Nothing else for it but to go on the offensive and hope he could over power the one he had. He held his palm open, and gathered his energy, forming it into a ball one inch above his hand. He waited for a lapse in fire, then pitched it blindly in the direction of his attacker, forcing him to yell in surprise and jump back into the hallway.

Cole took his chance and ran through the other door, into the conservatory, running straight through and into the living room. He was about to run out into the hallway from there, to launch his own surprise attack behind the boy when he heard a noise behind him. He threw himself behind the couch as another bolt flew past him. He was surprised, most demons after witnessing the power of his energy balls thought twice before attacking again, but this boy hadn't hesitated before following him.

Cole summoned another energy ball and threw it, this time aiming properly, forcing the boy to take cover behind a sofa, before popping back up to fire again at Cole. They continued trading shots, each one circling around, each trying to find better cover that also gave them a better position to fire their next shot, all the while demolishing whatever was in the living room.

It was when his back was to the conservatory that Cole had an idea that could turn the fight to his favor. Firing one more shot, he turned and ran into the conservatory, jumping over the table in there and tipping it over with him. The glass table-top fell out, leaving only the wrought iron legs and frame. Staying where he was, he waited for his assailant to notice that there was practically nothing between them but the thin metal frame.

It didn't take long. The boy poked his head around the doorway, saw his opening and fired. The bolt of lightning shot straight towards Cole, but never reached him. Instead, the lightning bolt arced into the metal frame and earthed itself. Cole smiled, his enemy's electrical attacks were now rendered useless as long as he kept the metal frame between them, while his own energy balls would eventually blast their way through whatever cover the boy sought. The boy tried twice more to hit Cole, all to no avail, while trying to avoid his shots as they peppered holes through the wall surrounding the doorway. Cole frowned in concentration as he summoned a more powerful energy ball than normal then threw it at the part of the wall that he thought the boy was hiding behind. The blast tore out a sizable chunk of the wall, accompanied by a cry of pain.

Cole hesitated, peering through the debris, trying to see what had become of his attacker. A shadow moved behind him and he realized he had been duped. He hadn't hit the boy, and taking the opportunity while Cole was looking, the boy had circled around the other rooms in the house to come out behind him. Desperately, Cole grabbed the table, swinging it around himself just in time to catch the next attack. Cole was off balance and by the time he regained his footing he saw the boy had changed tactics. Instead of throwing single bolts of lightning, he now fired a continuous stream. The table was catching the blast but now it was glowing red as it heated from the sheer amount of energy being poured into it, so much energy that any moment now, it would explode.

It blew with a bang, sending super-heated shrapnel in every direction. Cole only escaped by shimmering into the next room. This was a problem, the three assassins he had escaped earlier, had almost certainly sensed his shimmer and would be here soon. The only reason he didn't leave now was because that would mean leaving the assassin already here in the house. Oddly enough, the young assassin must not have any teleportational abilities, or he would have used them during the fight. While the Charmed ones could almost certainly vanquish him given time, if he ambushed them they might not get the chance. That meant Cole had to take him down before he left.

Deciding a change in tactics was needed, Cole shifted his form to that of Belthazor. As the boy rounded the corner to continue the fight, Cole charged him, ducking under his blast and grabbing him. Spinning quickly he threw him to the far side of the room. The boy was more durable than he seemed, getting up quickly onto his feet. Cole ran at him again, Fists flying in a flurry of blows. The boy did his best to dodge or block, and even managed to get a few blows of his own in. Cole soon realized that the boy's strength was equal to that of a humans, meaning he could do little, physically at least against Cole's demon form. Unfortunately, the boy's durability seemed to be greater than even Cole's demonic strength, despite the blows Cole was landing, the boy wasn't showing so much as a bruise.

Each of them grappled with the other, until an impactive force struck them, sending them flying through the air and into the wall. Struggling to their feet they both turned to look at this new threat.

Cole wanted to groan out loud. His three assassins had found him.

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They stood in a triangle, the leader at the point with his two larger companions behind him. Dressed in generic clothing for demons, the only unifying items being a medallion worn around their necks and a large silver ring on their fingers. Despite the leaders smaller stature, at least when compared to the other two, Cole knew he was both the smarter and more powerful one. Demon hierarchy allowed nothing else. Unlike the other two, the leader was also armed with an ornate sword. Sneering the leader spoke.

"As amusing as it would be to let the two of you do our job for us, we cannot allow it. Unless we kill you ourselves, Belthazor, we would not get paid. As for you Mr Harris, we will have our revenge for the compatriot that died by your hands."

"The Order of Turaka!" Xander hissed, recognizing the rings on their fingers.

"Indeed, it is good to see you rememb..." The leader's sentence was interrupted by the dual blasts of Cole and Xander.

However, instead of striking him, they veered up, entering the medallion which in turn suffused the leader's body with a glow.

"Ah, Mr Harris, no longer reliant on cans of paint now I see. Unfortunately for you, in order to hunt down Belthazor, my friends and I are each wearing an Amulet of Apothis. It consumes any energies directed against us before using those same energies to strengthen us. You however, lack such protection."

The leader raised his fist and sent out a shock-wave of energy that sent everything before him, including his targets, flying into the wall. With audible pain, Cole and Xander rose once more to their feet.

"You may fight back if you feel you must" the leader stated, drawing his sword and holding it ready. "It will do you no goo-argh!"

The leaders minions looked on in shock as Xander fired another stream of lightning, this time at the leader's sword. It struck the sword and traveled down the blade and into the leader's body until, with a scream, he was thrown backwards, dropping the sword in the process.

"There's more than one way to dust a vampire, numb-nuts" Xander goaded.

The leader raised his head and yelled at his minions.

"Kill them both, NOW!"

At his command, the other two assassins began their attack. Belthazor shimmered behind one of them and began delivering a series of blows to his opponents back. Xander however, had to face his opponent head on, with less than impressive results, as he was grabbed and thrown through the wall and into the hallway. The assassin followed, picked him up and began slamming him into any and all available surfaces.

Cole was faring better but not by much. His opponent had recovered quickly from his sneak attack and was now returning blows that Cole was feeling, despite his demonic form. Summoning an athame to his hand, Cole closed in, intending to stab him only to have his hands grabbed. Both demons struggled against each other, pushing and pulling for control of the blade, until they tripped on the debris scattered everywhere, falling to the ground.

Meanwhile Xander was in trouble. His punches and kicks didn't even tick off his attacker. Eventually getting bored with throwing Xander around the assassin decided to go in for the kill. His meaty hands wrapped around Xander's throat and he slammed him against the wall one final time. He then began to squeeze. Xander clutched uselessly against his opponents arms, looking into the arrogant sneer on his face. Suddenly, Xander wasn't looking into a demons face but Buffy's, memories of another time coming to the forefront of his mind.

A snarl plastered his lips as he gripped the arms holding him. Without thought, he summoned his power, sending it straight from his hands and into the demons body, the medallion unable to draw the power away in time because of the direct contact. The demon began to shudder as Xander poured more and more power into it's body until lightning began to arc out from it's body and it exploded, letting Xander fall to the ground.

Cole was also getting the worst of it. The assassin had gotten a hold of the athame and was now sitting on him, trying to drive it down into his chest. In the corner of his eye he saw Xander vanquish his own assassin and realized that the medallions couldn't defend from a close contact energy attack. This still presented a problem, since he had to form his energy balls before he could throw them. Then inspiration hit, Cole freed one hand from the athame and placed his open palm against the assassins head. He then started to form an energy ball, but instead of forming an inch above his palm, it was forming _inside_ the assassins head. His face turning red, the assassin dropped the athame and tried to pull away. Cole's other hand shot up and grabbed the other side of his head holding it in place until with a scream, the assassin's head exploded, almost immediately after, his body self-combusted.

Cole was congratulating himself on his victory when another shock-wave hit him, sending him flying once more._ Damn, forgot about the leader!_ Cole looked up and saw the Turakan leader preparing another shot. He also saw Xander race around the corner with a large piece of wood, the handrail from the hallway stairs, in his hands. As he neared the assassin he swung, sending the assassin to the ground amid a stream of profanity. The leader was down but not out though and he jumped to his feet.

"Damn you Harris, that will be your last trespass against the Order of Turaka!"

The assassin leader launched a massive shock-wave towards Xander, only to have it drawn into the medallion around his neck. Realization etched itself on the faces of Cole and the leader as they both looked at the remains of the assassin that Cole had killed. There in the ashes was the third medallion. Cole lunged suddenly, causing the Turakan to leap as well, in order to make sure his target did not gain protection against his powers. With a cry of victory, the leader held the medallion high in the air, out of Coles reach. This was what you would call a tactical error, since Cole wasn't going for the medallion. He was going for the sword, and with his arms raised in the air, the assassin leader was open.

Cole stabbed the sword into the assassin's back with so much force that the sword point came out the front. The assassin looked down at the extruding blade and sneered.

"Do I look dumb enough to carry a weapon that could kill me. You'll have to do better than that."

"Actually, you do look dumb enough." countered Cole.

"And I can do better." Xander added.

With that Xander lashed out with his lightning, once again using the sword to conduct the electrical bolt. Cole saw that the sword was starting to glow red, and remembering the last time, dove out of the room and into the hallway. No sooner was he clear, came the bang, signifying that the last assassin had joined his brethren. Peering into the room, Cole saw it was empty, the boy clearly taking cover in the conservatory. Hearing footsteps behind him, Cole reverted to his human form, preparing to bask in the fires of victory with the other survivor,

He didn't see the blow coming when Xander smacked him fair in the face with another heavy length of wood, knocking him unconscious.

Xander looked at the last demon, lying at his feet. God, he was exhausted. He removed the medallion from his neck, walked into the living room and retrieved the athame from the debris. Returning to the hallway, he kneeled down and locating where the heart was most likely to be, brought the blade down fast. Before he could strike though, a heavy weight hit him, tackling him to the ground. Disbelieving his luck, he pushed the weight on him up with one hand before punching with the other. Clear of the weight, he scrambled to his feet as quickly as he could, trying to gather the strength to face this new assault. Looking for his attacker he saw a young woman lying on the ground trying to clear her head and two more at the front doorway.

Moving towards the nearest women in order to finish her off before the others reached him, he was suddenly lifted off his feet by an unseen force and thrown the length of the hallway before hitting the wall. He looked up in time to register one of the women making an upwards motion with her hands, before he made an upwards motion, right into the ceiling and dropped back to the ground. In desperation, he tried to send a lightning bolt their way, but all he could manage was a small spark. It was enough to make the women duck before the third one snapped her hands forward in his direction. Xander exploded into a shower of blue and white lights, which swirled around for a second before coalescing back into his body. The strain proving to be too much for his tired body, Xander slumped down, flat on his face, unconscious.

With surprise the sister's looked at his fallen body before Phoebe looked at Prue and Piper and yelled.

"Holy God! We just tried to kill a white-lighter!"


	4. Ill met by moonlight

Starts at the end of BtVS season two and goes through season three. Haven't fully decided when during charmed it plays out, however Prue is alive, Piper and Leo are married and Phoebe is seeing Cole who is still a half-demon.

Standard disclaimer applies: I own nothing.

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**A/N **Melchior is named after one of the three Maji from the nativity. The energy absorbing amulet's are based on Egyptian myth. Apophis represents night following day since he constantly chases Ra's sunship trying to consume it, hence the energy consumption. They have nothing to do with Stargate SG:1.

Some people have written in pointing out that I incorrectly spell the order of Turaka. This is how it is spelled in the subtitles of my Buffy DVD collection and i'm sticking with it.

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Piper Halliwell drove back to the manor with a little apprehension. She, her sisters and Leo had just been about to order their lunch when they were joined by an Elder of all people. Leo, had of course risen to his feet straight away, ready to do as bidden, only to be waved back down. The Elder said he had something he needed to talk to them all about and after a round of introductions, much to their surprise, sat down with them. Apparently he was greatly looking forward to a meal. They made small talk during lunch, not straying into "business" topics in a crowded place. The Elder, Melchior, spoke the most, making polite inquiries to all the charmed ones about their everyday lives. During the course of the conversation, Melchior revealed he was a supporter of her and Leo's relationship. That little snippet of information went a long way to easing Piper's worries about his purpose here.

After settling the bill, they left the restaurant ready for the return trip home. Melchior's love of food didn't extend to car-trips and he informed them that after a quick stop for dessert he would meet them there. All the way home, Prue and Phoebe tossed ideas back and forth as to the reason why Melchior was there, causing Leo to either snicker or wince depending on the idea. Piper didn't join in, since she was far more focused on the road.

They reached home faster than usual, the traffic being rather light and headed inside, Prue and Phoebe still bickering. Everything looked normal, right up until they opened the front door. Inside was a mess and Cole was lying on the floor unconscious. Phoebe was about to enter, when a young man walked into the hallway from the living room. Not looking around, he knelt down near Cole and raised a knife. Phoebe was a blur of motion as she launched herself with her levitation abilities, right at Cole's attacker, knocking them both to the ground, with Phoebe on top.

Piper winced as the boy punched Phoebe, knocking her away and getting to his feet. He glanced in her and Prue's direction before making a dash for Phoebe. Prue's hands snapped forward, sending him crashing up the hallway, Prue motioned again and he struck the ceiling. Then he threw an energy bolt at them. Deciding to enter the fight herself, Piper brought her hands forward and activated her power. The boy exploded in an all too familiar show of lights before his body reformed and he fell to the ground. Piper just stared at the body, her mouth open in shock, only being bought out of it by Phoebe's cry.

"Holy God! We just tried to kill a white-lighter!"

"Indeed." Came Melchior's voice behind them.

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Prue looked on as Melchior knelt down near the fallen boy and ran his hands over him. Attacking a white-lighter wasn't going to look good and she was running possible repercussions through her head. Something on the floor glittered, catching her attention. She bent over and picked it up. A ring. It didn't look like anything her or the other girls would wear, in fact it looked a little demonic, so she walked over to Leo.

"Leo, do you know what this is?" handing it over to Leo.

Leo looked at the ring in the palm of his hands and his face paled.

"Everybody on your guard!" Leo shouted, drawing everyone's eyes to him.

"Prue just found a Turakan signet ring!"

"Just a moment Leo, I will see if the other two are nearby" Melchior said, getting to his feet and closing his eyes.

Leo seeing the others look at him questioningly, explained.

"The Order of Turaka is a league of assassins that always travel in three. Melchior is using his far-sight to find the rest of the group."

Hearing this, the three sisters drew together, backs to each other as they looked around for the threat.

"I can't sense anyone nearby Leo, but there are two more rings in the living room, I believe we are fine for the moment." Melchior stated before kneeling back down near Xander and placing his hands over him, a soft golden glow coming from them.

"The Order is made up of both humans and demons and they target both as well," Leo continued "They are professional and thorough, there are very few cases where they have been unable to achieve their objective. They always research their opponents, exploiting any weakness, negating any strengths. Most often, each one will form their own attack plan, keeping their target guessing which direction they're coming from, but if circumstance dictates they will attack as a unified force"

"So who was the target?" Prue asked, not liking what she had heard.

"We can discuss that shortly" Melchior said, rising once more. "For the moment we have other concerns. Young Alexander here has exhausted much of his energy, I have done what I can for him but he will not awaken before tomorrow morning. I need you girls to lay him down somewhere more comfortable than the floor while Leo and I see to Mr Turner."

With that, Prue gently motioned with her hands, letting her telekinesis lift Xander's slumbering form. She was about to direct his body into the living room when Phoebe stopped her.

"No use taking him in there Prue, the whole room looks like it was hit by a bomb, including the couches."

"Well, where else are we supposed to put him?"

"We'll have to put him in one of the beds upstairs" Piper said.

"Yeah, but whose bed?"

"Your's I think" Phoebe said, shooting Prue a malicious grin. Seeing the glare her eldest sister gave her, she continued on. "Piper and Leo are married, they're not going to share their bed and Cole will probably stay over tonight, so there's no room in mine."

"Cole might not be staying and you're more used to strange men waking up in your bed Pheebs." Prue answered back, not liking where this was headed. She was very picky when it came to who she allowed into her life, much less her bed.

"If we put him in my bed and Cole stays, then we have to move him again and Melchior said he needed rest. Unless of course, you let Cole and I have your bed for the night."

Prue blanched " Fine, he goes in my bed, but I don't want to hear any smart comments from either of you in the morning"

Decision made, the girls made their way upstairs, Phoebe clearing debris out of the way while Piper guided Prue up the stairs, Prue needing to constantly watch her cargo so she didn't bang him into everything on the way up. After placing him in her bed, they made their way downstairs. Cole was no longer lying in the hallway, hearing voices in the kitchen, they went in there.

Walking into the kitchen, they saw all three men sitting at the table, with Cole holding his nose and muttering to himself. The sisters joined them and once they had settled themselves, Melchior spoke.

"Okay, I think we need to get the matter of the Turakan assassins out of the way before we discuss why I came here. Mr Turner, could you tell us what happened before we arrived?"

Cole looked nervous, clearly he had been told who and what Melchior was, which meant that unless he wanted the Elders to interfere with his and Phoebe's relationship he had better be on his best behavior. He began telling his story, keeping it short and concise, from the start when the Order attacked him in Barcelona, to being blindsided at the end. It was harder to tell what was funnier, Cole mistaking a white-lighter for a demonic assassin, or the way he kept calling Melchior, sir.

"And then I woke up with Leo and yourself standing over me, sir." Cole finished, trying to ignore the smirk Prue was giving him over his sucking up. "I guess I shouldn't have worried that the girls wouldn't be able to vanquish the boy."

"Oh, we didn't Cole. He's upstairs sleeping right now." Prue said evilly.

"What! Why?"

"He's not a demon."

"..."

"He's a white-lighter." Prue finished, enjoying Cole's confusion. She had her doubts about the half-demon but was willing to abide by Phoebe's no vanquishing rule. For now.

"He can't be a white-lighter, his powers are different and he"

"Kicked your ass?" Prue interrupted, twisting the knife, so to speak.

"Yes, I mean no, I mean, I don't know what I mean."

"We will get to that all shortly" Melchior said, cutting in on the verbal battle. "We at least know now that the Order was here only for Cole. I had some concern that they were here for the Charmed Ones or for Alexander, but those concerns have been put to rest."

"I understand why they would be sent against us, but why would they be after a white-lighter?" Piper questioned.

"Oh, I think I know this one," Cole supplied "The leader of the group mentioned that he'd interfered on one of the Order's previous assignments. I think they wanted payback" Cole frowned as he tried to recall what exactly the leader had said. "I think he mentioned something about a paint can."

"It was before Alexander became a white-lighter. The Order sent a squad to kill a friend of his, Alexander aided her and killed one of the assassins." Melchior answered.

"With a paint can?" Cole asked dubiously.

"Actually, he only used the paint from the can."

"That's impossible. How?"

"That is something to ask him later." Melchior said finally moving on to the business he had came here for.

"The Elders would like to ask if Alexander can move in to the Halliwell Manor."

"What? Why? We haven't done anything wrong!"came the cries from the sisters and Melchior realized they thought he was replacing Leo.

"It's alright girls, Leo will still be your white-lighter. In fact, part of the reason we want Alexander to move in is so Leo can train him in his powers."

"Don't white-lighters usually get trained in heaven?" Cole asked.

"Yes, but in many ways Alexander is a special case. Do you know how someone is chosen to become a white-lighter?"

"Aren't they good people in their mortal life who are offered the chance to continue to do good for the world?" Piper asked.

"Yes, that is one way they are chosen. We were watching Alexander since he was showing many of the qualities a potential white-lighter needs. He wasn't there quite yet, but he was certainly showing potential. Then something happened which qualified him to be made a white-lighter another way"

Everybody at the table saw Leo tense up when he heard this. Seeing their expressions Leo decided he had better fill them in.

"Some people are offered the choice to become a white-lighter as a reward. Usually for performing an act of great good that claims their lives."

Melchior nodded "This is what happened to Alexander. He sacrificed himself to provide the power needed to close a portal that would suck all life on earth into Hell."

Nobody knew what to say about that, and after a moment Melchior continued on.

"When Alexander sacrificed himself, he was drawn into Hell. He remained there for three months local time but because of the temporal differences of Hell he was there for many centuries. During that time he was at the mercy of the denizens of Hell. We were unable to get him out ourselves, and it looked like he would spend the rest of eternity there. That is, until we were contacted by someone from the Underworld. She had a request to make of us and as a show of good faith had arranged Alexander's release from Hell and into our hands. He was heavily traumatized, almost completely catatonic and it was only through the intervention of one of my fellow Elders that we were able to draw his mind back. He still has issues though. His underlying emotional problems are circumventing his powers. All white-lighters have the power to create lightning bolts but because of their pacifist natures, they can normally only manage the small spark you have seen Leo use when he trains you. Alexanders anger is such that it over-rides all his other emotions, preventing him from using his other powers and amplifying his own lightning bolts, however, he is only a new white-lighter and as such, lacks the reserves needed to maintain such attacks."

"Then why not strip him of his powers until his emotional problems are resolved?" Prue asked, the answer seemingly obvious to her.

"Because Alexander was born, raised and died in Sunnydale."

"So what. It sounds like a nice place."

At Prue's comment both Leo and Cole gave a loud bark of laughter, clearly showing there was something that the girls didn't know.

Stilling his laughter, Cole decided to enlighten them. "Sunnydale sits on the mouth of Hell, it's pretty much as far from 'a nice place' you can get on Earth as possible."

"The Hellmouth draws evil on earth towards it constantly, all the while repelling the forces of good." Leo added. "It's so powerful that white-lighters can't even go near it, nor can other beings that promote good in the world. It also corrupts mortals, not exactly making them evil but tainting them. They all tend to develop character flaws that while small, disqualify them from becoming white-lighters. It's been rumored in heaven that a white-lighter who spent their entire life on the Hellmouth may be immune to it. This means that the Elders would finally have influence on the Hellmouth."

"I can see the importance of that, but since he didn't become a white-lighter by living his entire life being good wouldn't that mean he may not be the best person to be a white-lighter for the Hellmouth?" Prue asked

"Alexander was already near to those qualifications already, all he really lacks are various life experiences that he can still have as a white-lighter. Depending on how he deals with them will decide whether or not he stays assigned to the Hellmouth but his self-sacrifice guarantees his right to be a white-lighter regardless." Melchior answered.

"Okay, we know why he's a white-lighter but why should he come here to be trained?"

"Because of his manner of death there are many things that we do for other white-lighters after death we cannot do for him. For example white-lighters are allowed to say goodbye to those they loved in life, this helps them and their loved ones move on. In his current state, Alexander's loved ones may not believe him to be the man they once knew. We can't even show him his past lives because it would only confuse him more than he already is. It's a big enough miracle that we were even able to arrange the burial of his mortal body in his home town and yet we couldn't even let him witness his funeral. If Alexander is to put his experiences behind him, he needs to be able to get back to the person he was before his trip to Hell. In order to do that, he needs to be in a similar environment to the one he was in before his impromptu trip to Hell."

"But why us in particular?"

"In life, Alexander was not only aware of the magical world but fought against the forces of darkness as well. Your family is the closest to what he knew in life, right down to the demonic boyfriend who may or may not be good. We hope the familiarity that you can provide will help him move past his memories of Hell, something he can't get in heaven."

"What do you mean about the demonic boyfriend?" Phoebe asked, feeling that this was heading into an awkward area.

"One of Alexander's friends had a demonic lover, much like yourself and Cole. It is for this reason only that the Elders have decided to back off from your and Cole's situation. Alexander needs to learn to control his emotions in the presence of a demon, to not lash out unthinkingly."

Melchior turned and addressed Cole directly. "He will probably never fully trust you, Cole. The last time he bowed down to his friends wishes and did, ended as badly as it possibly could, with the demon getting away and Alexander in Hell. You, above all people, need to be careful around him."

"He's a good person, despite living a harsh life, girls, and he needs all of you to help him find his way. I know I haven't given you any specific details about him, but that's because he needs you to get him to open up to you. Will you do it?"

The three Halliwell sisters looked at each other, seemingly communicating through their sibling bond. One by one, they nodded to each other, then Prue turned to Melchior and answered.

"Yes."

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"How the hell did this happen?"

"Cordelia..."

"I'm not one of you guys anymore, I quit, I remember quitting..."

"Cordelia..."

"...handed in my resignation and everything."

"CORDELIA"

"What? I'm trying Giles, but some of us don't have super-strength" Cordelia snapped "He's shrugging me off and he's all squelchy too."

Giles held his tongue and tried to shift his grip on the zombie that was trying to eat his face. A burn victim before rising again, he was indeed, squelchy, as Cordelia so charmingly put it. _And he smells worse than the bloody cat,_ Giles thought. Suddenly he was stumbling forward, the zombie thrown through the air to hit the coffee table. About to thank Buffy for the timely intervention, Giles stopped when he saw who his rescuer had been.

Angel.

Who calmly walked over and snapped the zombies neck as it tried to disentangle itself from the coffee table.

Giles closed his eyes and tried not to picture HIS hands around HER neck. Forcefully pushing the images in his mind aside, Giles faced Angel, distaste open upon his features.

"What are you doing here Angel?" he asked, stepping forward and placing himself between the vampire and Cordelia, who he could swear was growling under her breath. Meetings between the re-ensouled vampire and the cheerleader had been rather venomous lately.

"I, uh, saw all the zombies and followed them here" Angel said, not meeting their eyes.

"I see, and how did you gain entrance without an invitation?"

Angel just stood there and said nothing.

"Is it because, despite my warnings and Joyce's direct order not to do so, Buffy invited you back in?"

"Guys, I hate to say this, but this isn't the time. We've got the walking dead coming here like it's party central and trying to eat us but as long as Deadboy there keeps it in his pants, he's not one of them."

Angel flinched at the use of Xander's favorite nickname, but said nothing. Despite her assertions to the contrary, Cordelia wasn't over Xander and she personally blamed Angel and/or Buffy for his unexplained disappearance. Hearing something and wanting to prove he was there to help, he walked past Giles and Cordelia, ignoring their protests and opened the door to the cupboard under the stairs. As soon as he opened it he was assaulted by a barrage of nic-nacs, thrown haphazardly from within.

"Willow, it's me, Angel" he cried out, rubbing his forehead where an acurateley thrown watering can struck.

A forcefully swung ski-pole was his only answer.

"Oz?"

Angel stepped back and let a sheepish Willow and Oz out of the cupboard. Well, Willow was sheepish, Oz, on the other hand, had only met Angel once, before being introduced to the psychopath that was the Scourge of Europe. Therefore Oz watched Angel like a hawk.

"Aah, there you two are. Has anyone seen Buffy?"

"Yeah, where is she? I came here because I thought it would be safe, not because it's ground-zero for the ungrateful dead" Cordelia snarked.

All of a sudden there was a scream, followed by a thump, and if Giles wasn't mistaken, the sound of a body being thrown through a wall.

"I believe that would be Buffy upstairs now with her mother." Giles said as they all looked towards the ceiling.

"Giles, what the frilly heck is going on? Why are all the zombies coming here?" Willow asked, moving closer to her armed boyfriend.

"It's the Mask of Ovu Moboni, Joyce has it on her bedroom wall, if any of these zombies put the mask on we'll be dealing with a fully empowered Deathgod. We need to warn Buffy to be wary of the masks eyes."

"Ooh, I'll do it, come on Oz." Willow grabbed Oz's arm and dragged him towards the stairs, but before they could reach them someone ran in through the front door and knocked them to the ground.

"Bloody hell, Angel" Giles yelled, rushing forward and pulling Willow away "Just because you can come in without invitation, doesn't mean you should leave the front door WIDE OPEN"

"Giles" Willow said, her voice and eyes betraying her shock.

"YOU NEED TO THINK ABOUT THE RAMIFICATIONS OF YOUR ACTIONS" Giles yelled, lifting Willow to her feet, and ignoring her frantic tugging of his sleeve.

"Giles..."

"ARE YOU EVEN PAYING ATTENTION" Giles yelled, finally noticing shocked looks on Angel's and Cordelia's faces. Giving in to Willow's insistent tugging, he turned around and felt his jaw drop. Standing unsteadily, dressed in a dirty tuxedo was Xander. In fact, Giles noticed, with the way the dirt covered his entire body and face, even matting his hair up in clumps, it looked like Xander had just crawled out of a grave...

Oh bugger.

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Bet you didn't see that coming.

God I love plot twists.


End file.
